| | A Trip Around the Planet presents: | | | We celebrated milestones in Portugal. We shared amazing meals in Ecuador. We experienced vivid landscapes in Mongolia. For both work and pleasure, our staff made a lot of wonderful memories traveling in 2023. With the year winding down, we're reflecting on our favorite travel moments of the past 12 months. From our worldwide staff here at Lonely Planet -- Happy New Year! P.S. If you still need ideas for where to go next year, check out our 2024 Best in Travel. | | | I celebrated my birthday in Paris at a Fireman’s Ball with champagne, fireworks, and dancing on Bastille Day. Every restaurant we wanted to try had an impossible wait, but Paris has no shortage of amazing food if you’re flexible: fluffy Japanese pancakes at Tea Space instead of French toast at Immersion République, or delicious tapas at Caves Saint Gilles instead of dinner and mousse at Chez Janou. Exploring is half the fun! - Erin Lenczycki, Photo Editor | | | In Australia’s Northern Territory, Kakadu National Park gets all the glory. But on my first visit to the Top End, I was most captivated by its smaller southern neighbour, Nitmiluk National Park. Led by First Nations guides, I took a sunset cruise through some of the park’s 13 interlinked gorges. Beneath the ancient limestone cliffs, we learned more about the park’s spiritual significance to the Jawoyn people — and how they succeeded in lobbying to protect it. Now, I want to go back and do a multiday canoe trip through the gorges, which is possible from June to October. - Jessica Lockhart, Destination Editor Oceania
| | | Alibag remains my favorite monsoon getaway. An hour’s ferry ride from Mumbai, and you’re surrounded by palm-lined beaches, colonial-era forts and the unspoiled waters of the Arabian Sea. The town has a few swish eateries to choose from – and the seafood everywhere is spectacular. - Akanksha Singh, Destination Editor Central Asia and the India Subcontinent
| | | A close friend moved back to Seoul, Korea during the pandemic, so I made a quick trip in March to visit. We explored Jeju-do Island for a few days and watched the unforgettable sunset from the top of Namsan Seoul Tower (free). We rented an apartment in Hwayang-Dong for its proximity to Seoul Forest and Seongsu (which my friend calls the Brooklyn of Seoul), my new favorite park! If you're in the area, I recommend grabbing drinks at EauDeVie. As a vegetarian, I had plenty of options. Some traditional spots were able to accommodate my requests, but the true highlight for me was Plant Cafe Seoul - even my non-veg friends loved it! - Serina Patel, Marketing Manager
| | | My favorite vacation was oddly enough the one closest to home. A last-minute trip in July to stay with friends in Martha’s Vineyard was filled with fresh seafood, pink sunsets and beach-hopping. Our best meal was hands-down the lobster roll from The Net Result in Vineyard Haven, taken to-go for a secluded sunset picnic at Lambert’s Cove Beach. Honorable mentions go to the ice cream at The Scoop Shack in Edgartown and cocktails on Atlantic Restaurant’s waterfront deck. - Ann Douglas Lott, Associate Editor
| | | I spent a week in Lisbon in August with my husband Mick. We walked miles everyday and it felt like an endurance workout at times in the heat. The city was built on seven hills, and some of them are ridiculously steep! Our best meal? Tinned fish is having a renaissance in Lisbon; the quality of what's on offer though will change any preconceptions you have about canned food. We stumbled across Miss Can, a tiny joint tucked away outside the walls of Castelo de São Jorge and had lunch of tinned tuna and sardine fillets in spicy olive oil with pickles, served with salads and bread. Cheap, simple and so delicious! - Fionnuala McCarthy, Editorial Director
| | | Here’s a New Year’s resolution to consider for 2024: avoid getting nickel and dimed by those pesky foreign transaction fees when you travel. Apply for Apple Card* and along with no foreign transaction fees, you’ll get Daily Cash back on all your purchases. Terms apply. | *Sponsored content by Apple Card. We may receive compensation when you click through select Apple links. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by our partners. Terms apply. | | |  | Love travel inspiration in your inbox? | | | Share with a fellow travel lover by forwarding to a friend. Did someone share this email with you? Subscribe by clicking here. | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
